HDZ BiH President Dragan Covic denied reports today that he had reached an agreement with SDA leader Sulejman Tihic on a plan to implement the Sejdic-Finci ruling. An earlier report by Oslobodenje published excerpts from what the paper claimed was the text of an SDA-HDZ agreement.
Mr. Covic said that he had not met with Tihic this week, but expected to meet with him on September 23. He said that his party would present two proposals at the upcoming meeting.
“One is related or similar to what appeared in the public, but only principally, while the content is completely different. We are proposing a model of minimal multiethnic representation when it comes to direct election, and we have another proposal of indirect election that is already in the parliamentary procedure” said Covic.
With respect to direct election, Covic explained that the FBiH is a single electoral unit, and the 10 cantons are semi-electoral units.
“Every canton has an electoral status in our proposal, and there is a third round in order to secure the core principle that one people do not elect representative to another in the House of Peoples and the BiH Presidency, that is to have two areas in the Federation that would secure that this does not happen” said Covic.
He added it is possible to find a solution if SDA is on the same trail.
Mr. Covic expressed optimism, but warned that though an agreement between his party and the SDA would be a positive step, finalizing an agreement with all parties and passing the necessary changes to the BiH Constitution and Electoral Law would be more complicated.
